Summer fun! Outdoor activities in the fresh air

Whether you hear the countryside calling you or you’re more drawn to the water, there are numerous opportunities to fill the long summer days with outdoor activities. Here are a few tips for summer activities.

The call of the hills

Whether you scale the highest summit or the next hut is your goal, solo, as a couple or in a group – hiking is a wonderful way of spending time outdoors.

Hiking – a labour of love

Particularly in summer and autumn, when you can stomp through cool forests, over soft moss in the clean air, with a pack on your back and a song in your heart, hiking or a long walk really helps your mind to slow down. Our bodies automatically release endorphins, also known as happiness hormones, when we’re active. Hiking in the fresh air of the hills is an effective way to get fit that trains lots of muscles including the heart, and boosts the circulation. Always bear in mind: if you can still chat without getting breathless, you are going at the right speed, but you can nevertheless benefit from taking regular breaks. Only then will you be able to enjoy all the other things found in this type of activity outside: the sun on your skin, the wind in your face, and the flora of the hills.

Hikes as outdoor activities are a real blessing for the ears: babbling springs instead of car horns, rustling leaves instead of background music.

Hiking – a great feeling

Anyone who has been on a hike to a really high summit knows what you can hear up there: complete tranquillity. With your head in the clouds you can only feel the wind – a peace that we do not experience in our everyday lives any more.
So it’s a good opportunity to listen to yourself. But don’t forget: humans have been wandering through the world for thousands of years and this has always been the reason for moving – our bodies are built to do it. So we should do something that is the most natural thing in the world and above all good for our heart and circulation.And: hikes are lovely opportunities to discover the natural world with the whole family, to talk about things for which there is no time in daily life and unwind together. And you don’t have to go far to do this: the most beautiful hiking areas in the UK are right outside our front doors. The adventure can start at the drop of a hat.

The hiker’s checklist

There are some things that you have to think about and tick off your hiking checklist before going on a hike.

Which route? Local hiking clubs can explain the level of difficulty of the different routes. As a rule of thumb for beginners: a maximum of 20 kilometres per day on flat routes.

What is the weather forecast? Get weather warnings sent to your mobile with a weather app so that you can optimally use the time outside.

In any case, you should always protect yourself from the sun, with NIVEA’s Sun Anti Age Face Cream, for example – even when it’s cloudy.

Remember to put the following in your hiking backpack: a good map, rain jacket and sun hat, water, food, a spare T-shirt, sun protection such as NIVEA’s Pocket Size Sun Lotion, a GPS device for more challenging expeditions, a first-aid kit with blister plasters, a pen knife and a compass.

Need to cool down?

Fun and exercise in the water

Whether on a lake or in the sea – there are numerous sporting and relaxing outdoor activities to do on water. Tired of the beach and want to get moving? Then get your circulation moving again with tried and tested beach games. Beachball, frisbee, boules and beach volleyball are not only fun, they are also a real workout – depending on how they are played, of course. And this makes jumping into the cool water afterwards all the more refreshing. But here, too, don’t forget your sun protection! Above all, it should be waterproof.

Stand-Up Paddling

On your marks, get set, go! Once you’ve got to grips with the initial wobbly attempts to stand on the board, you’re ready to go. The best thing is that this trendy watersport is both a total body workout and can be practised in a very relaxed manner.

Hiring a pedalo

Many of us remember pedalos from our childhoods. And it’s still worth taking one out on the water even now you’re older. And do it however you want: as a fun thing to do with friends, as a romantic excursion with your lover or as fun with the family.

Canoeing

With its rivers, lakes and canals, Ireland is a canoeist’s paradise. The great thing is that you can choose to go solo or with several people in a canoe, fast or slow, on the water for a few hours or for a few days. Everything is possible!